First of Year waterbirds, Lakes Estes, Larimer Co. 3/24

[Jim Nelson]

We arrived in Colorado yesterday for a visit, starting in the Estes Park area in Larimer County. This afternoon I walked around Lake Estes and found a good variety of waterbirds. After entering my list in eBird I checked for other reports of the same species and found that only Canada Goose and Mallard have been reported from anywhere in or around Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park since the beginning of the year. And I don't recall any earlier reports from Lake Estes on either of the Colorado listservs.

The main lake held 16 Gadwall, 3 (American) Green-winged Teal, a pair of American Wigeon, 8 Common Goldeneye, and a single American Coot. In the smaller body of water on the south side of the U.S. 36 causeway (which was ice free today but almost totally frozen when we arrived yesterday), I was surprised to find two Great Blue Heron. There was also a pair of Hooded Merganser.

A nice start to our first visit to Colorado this year.

Jim Nelson
Bethesda, Maryland